Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering assessment of DNA from leaf tissues adsorbed on silver colloidal nanoparticles

In this work, the surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of seven genomic DNAs from leaves of chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora Ramat.), common sundew (Drosera rotundifolia L.), edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum Cass), Epilobium hirsutum L., Hypericum richeri ssp. transsilvanicum (Čelak) Ciocârlan, rose (Rosa x hybrida L.) and redwood (Sequoia sempervirens D. Don. Endl.), respectively, have been analyzed in the wavenumber range 200–1800 cm⁻¹. The surface‐enhanced Raman vibrational modes for each of these cases, spectroscopic band assignments and structural interpretations of genomic DNAs are reported. A high molecular structural information content can be found in the SERS spectra of these DNAs from leaf tissues. Based on this work, specific plant DNA–ligand interactions or accurate local structure of DNA might be further investigated using surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Besides, this study will generate information which is valuable in the development of label‐free DNA detection for chemical probing in living cell. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Silica‐overcoated substrates for detection of proteins by surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Ag film over nanosphere (AgFON) substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are shown to be ineffective for the detection of proteins in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) because of the decomposition of the substrate resulting in a total loss of SERS activity. However, modification of these substrates with SiO₂ overlayers overcomes this problem. The SiO₂ overlayers are produced by filtered arc deposition (FAD) and are characterised by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Their porosity is examined using Raman spectroscopy and the detection of cytochrome c and bovine serum albumin in PBS is successfully demonstrated. These findings show promise for the detection of proteins in biologically relevant conditions using Ag‐based SERS substrates. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

SERS as a probe for adsorbate orientation on silver nanoclusters

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy has been used to characterize multilayers of three isomeric aromatic compounds adsorbed on silver nanoclusters. The three structural isomers, all of which adsorb in the carboxylate form onto the silver nanoclusters, bind in two different geometries to the silver surface. Different molecular configurations correlate to differences in bonding strength of these molecules to the silver surface, which can be probed by SERS. For ortho‐hydroxybenzoic acid (salicylic acid), we observed red shifts of major SERS peaks in comparison to the normal Raman vibrations of nonadsorbed crystalline material. For this molecule the steric hindrance between the adjacent carboxylate and hydroxyl groups causes the carboxylate group to rotate from the common flat geometry of benzene substituents on surfaces and bond directly through one of the oxygen atoms to the surface. In this case, strong coordinative bonding between the carboxylate group and the metal surface causes the red shifts in the SERS peaks. For para‐, and meta‐hydroxybenzoic acid, the steric hindrance is less likely since the two functional groups are not at adjacent positions, and therefore these molecules adsorb on the silver surface in a totally flat geometry. For these molecules, in contrast to the ortho isomer, the CO₂ interacts with the surface through an extended π bond, and these molecules are physically adsorbed in the common flat position. Therefore, for the meta and para substituents, we do not observe significant red shifts in the SERS spectrum. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of backbone length and synthetic mutations on orientation of neurotensin fragments adsorbed onto a colloidal silver surface: SERS studies

Neurotensin (NT) is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter that mediates the metabotropic seven‐transmembrane G protein‐coupled receptors, namely NTR1s, richly expressed on tumor surface. Therefore, mutated active molecular fragments of NT that possess selective antagonist or weak agonist properties and the high affinity to NTR1 have attracted considerable interest for use in thrombus, inflammation, and imaging/treatment of tumors. In this work, SERS spectra of three N‐terminal fragments of human NT (NT^1‐6, NT^1‐8, and NT^1‐11) and six specifically mutated C‐terminal fragments of human NT, including NT^8‐13, [Dab⁹]NT^8‐13, [Lys⁸,Lys⁹]NT^8‐13, [Lys⁸‐(®)‐Lys⁹]NT^8‐13, [Lys⁹,Trp¹¹,Glu¹²]NT^8‐13, and NT^9‐13, adsorbed onto nanometer‐sized colloidal silver particles in an aqueous solution at pH level of the solution 2 are presented. A comparison was made between the structures of the native and mutated fragments to determine how changes in peptide length and mutations of the structure influenced the NT adsorption properties. Based on the interpretation of the obtained data, we showed that all of the investigated NT fragments, excluding [Lys⁹,Trp¹¹,Glu¹²]NT^8‐13, tended to adsorb on the silver surface mainly through the L‐tyrosine residue and the carboxylate group. The Tyr ring lied more‐or‐less flat on the silver surface. The hydrogen atom from the phenol group dissociated upon binding. On the other hand, [Lys⁹,Trp¹¹,Glu¹²]NT^8‐13 bound to this substrate through the close to vertical co‐pyrrole ring of the indole ring (Trp¹¹) and –COO^‐ . Comparison of the presented data with those obtained earlier for NT allows to suggest that in the case of naturally occurring neurotensin, both Tyr residues together with the carboxylate group play crucial role in the binding to the nanometer‐sized colloidal silver particles. This geometry of binding forces the NT molecule to lay flat on the surface. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

哌啶分子在两种不同银电极上吸附行为的实验和理论研究

分别在粗糙银电极和银纳米颗粒修饰银电极上得到了哌啶分子的表面增强拉曼（SERS）光谱。哌啶在银电极与银纳米颗粒修饰的银电极上的SERS谱有很大的区别,分析认为是由于哌啶在不同基底上的吸附方式不同所引起的,据此建立了哌啶吸附在银颗粒表面的两种模型,用DFT-B3PW91-lanl2dz方法计算了两种模型的拉曼频移,通过与实验结果比较说明了哌啶分子主要通过N原子的孤对电子竖直吸附在粗糙银电极表面,而在银纳米颗粒修饰的银电极上则以平行吸附方式为主。     

SERS activity of carbon nanotubes modified by silver nanoparticles with different particle sizes

A two-dimensional (2D) surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate is fabricated by decorating carbon nanotube (CNT) films with Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) in different sizes, via simple and low-cost chemical reduction method and self-assembling method. The change of Raman and SERS activity of carbon nanotubes/Ag nanoparticles (CNTs/AgNPs) composites with varying size of AgNPs are investigated by using rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a probe molecule. Meanwhile, the scattering cross section of AgNPs and the distribution of electric field of CNTs/AgNPs composite are simulated through finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) wavelength is redshifted as the size of AgNPs increases, and the intensity of SERS and electric field increase with AgNPs size increasing. The experiment and simulation results show a Raman scattering enhancement factor (EF) of 10⁸ for the hybrid substrate.     

Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy of 4‐tert‐butylpyridine on a silver electrode

We report the observation of large surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) (10⁶) for 4‐tert‐butylpyridine molecules adsorbed on a silver electrode surface in an electrochemical cell with electrode potential set at − 0.5 V. A decrease in electrode potential to − 0.3 V was accompanied by a decrease in relative intensities of the vibrational modes. However, there were no changes in vibrational wavenumbers. Comparison of both normal solution Raman and SERS spectra shows very large enhancement of the intensities of a₁, a₂, and b₂ modes at laser excitation of 488 nm. Enhancement of the non‐totally symmetric modes indicates the presence of charge transfer as a contributor to the enhancement. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy for quantitative measurement of lactic acid at physiological concentration in human serum

Lactic acid is a simple and effective indicator for estimating physiological function. Rapid and sensitive detection of lactic acid is very useful in clinical diagnosis. However, the concentration of lactic acid in the physiological state is too low to be detected using traditional Raman spectroscopy. We applied silver colloidal nanoparticles‐mediated surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for rapid identification and quantification of lactic acid. The standard SERS spectra of lactic acid were defined and the 1395 cm⁻¹ band intensity was used for quantification from 0.3 to 2 mM (R² = 0.99). In clinical blood sample measurement, the ultrafiltration (cutoff value 5 kDa) can efficiently reduce background fluorescence to improve SERS performance. We established identical and optimal procedure by adjusting reaction time and volume ratio of serum and nanoparticles to obtain high SERS reproducibility. Finally, we showed that silver colloidal nanoparticles‐mediated SERS technique was successfully applied to detect lactic acid at physiological concentrations in the blood. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Gold‐coated zinc oxide nanowire‐based substrate for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Zinc oxide nanowires with two distinct morphologies were synthesized on silicon substrates using a simple thermal evaporation and vapor transport method in an oxidizing environment. The as‐synthesized nanowires were coated with gold to allow excitation of surface plasmons over a broad frequency range. SERS studies with near‐IR excitation at 785 nm showed significant enhancement (average enhancement > 10⁶) with excellent reproducibility to detect monolayer concentrations of 4‐methylbenzenethiol (4‐MBT) and 1,2‐benzendithiol (1,2‐BDT) probe molecules. The Raman enhancement showed a strong dependence on the gold film thickness, and the peak enhancement was observed for a ∼40‐nm‐thick film. The Raman enhancement was stronger for randomly oriented nanowires compared to aligned ones suggesting the importance of contributions from the junctions of nanowires. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Raman scattering of L‐tryptophan enhanced by surface plasmon of silver nanoparticles: vibrational assignment and structural determination

Vibrational bands of L ‐tryptophan which was adsorbed on Ag nanoparticles (∼10 nm in diameter) have been investigated in the spectral range of 200–1700 cm⁻¹ using surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. Compared with the normal Raman scattering (NRS) of L ‐tryptophan in either 0.5 M aqueous solution (NRS‐AS) or solid powder (NRS‐SP), the intensified signals by SERS have made the SERS investigation at a lower molecular concentration (5 × 10⁻⁴ M ) possible. Ab initio calculations at the B3LYP/6‐311G level have been carried out to predict the optimal structure and vibrational wavenumbers for the zwitterionic form of L ‐tryptophan. Facilitated with the theoretical prediction, the observed vibrational modes of L ‐tryptophan in the NRS‐AS, NRS‐SP, and SERS spectra have been analyzed. In the spectroscopic observations, there are no significant changes for the vibrational bands of the indole ring in either NRS‐AS, NRS‐SP, or SERS. In contrast, spectral intensities involving the vibrations of carboxylate and amino groups are weak in NRS‐AS and NRS‐SP, but strong in SERS. The intensity enhancement in the SERS spectrum can reach 10³–10⁴‐fold magnification. On the basis of spectroscopic analysis, the carboxylate and amino groups of L ‐tryptophan are determined to be the preferential terminal groups to attach onto the surfaces of Ag nanoparticles in the SERS measurement. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

银纳米阵列直径对SERS增强效果的影响

采用电化学沉积法分别在不同孔径的阳极氧化铝(AAO)模板上沉积一系列直径不同,排列规则的银纳米阵列。以对氨基苯甲酸(PABA)和三聚氰胺两种分子分别作为探针分子, 研究了银纳米阵列的直径大小对其表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)效果的影响。结果表明, 在波长为514.5 nm的激光激发下, 探针分子的SERS信号强度随银纳米阵列直径的改变而明显变化, 并在银纳米阵列直径约为53 nm时, SERS强度达到最大。利用电磁增强机制对此实验结果进行了分析和解释。     

A hybrid substrate for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy: coupling metal nanoparticles to strong localised fields on a micro‐structured surface

Electromagnetic coupling between localised plasmons on metal nanoparticles and the strong localised fields on a micro‐structured surface is demonstrated as a means to increase the enhancement factor in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. Au nanoparticles of diameter 20 nm were deposited on a micro‐structured Au surface consisting of a periodic array of square‐based pyramidal pits (Klarite). The spectra of 4‐aminothiophenol (4‐ATP) were compared before and after deposition of Au nanoparticles on the micro‐structured surface. The addition of Au nanoparticles is shown to provide significantly higher signal intensities, with improvements of the order of ∼10³ per molecule compared with spectra obtained from the micro‐structured substrate alone. This hybrid approach offers promise for combining nanoparticles with micro‐ and nano‐structured surfaces in order to design SERS substrates with higher sensitivities. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Understanding tip‐enhanced Raman spectra of biological molecules: a combined Raman,SERS and TERS study

Although conventional Raman, surface‐enhanced Raman (SERS) and tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) have been known for a long time, a direct, thorough comparison of these three methods has never been carried out. In this paper, spectra that were obtained by conventional Raman, SERS (on gold and silver substrates) and TERS (in ‘gap mode’ with silver tips and gold substrates) are compared to learn from their differences and similarities. Because the investigation of biological samples by TERS has recently become a hot topic, this work focuses on biologically relevant substances. Starting from the TER spectra of bovine serum albumin as an example for a protein, the dipeptides Phe–Phe and Tyr–Tyr and the tripeptide Tyr–Tyr–Tyr were investigated. The major findings were as follows. (1) We show that the widely used assumption that spectral bands do not shift when comparing SER, TER and conventional Raman spectra (except due to binding to the metal surface in SERS or TERS) is valid. However, band intensity ratios can differ significantly between these three methods. (2) Marker bands can be assigned, which should allow one to identify and localize proteins in complex biological environments in future investigations. From our results, general guidelines for the interpretation of TER spectra are proposed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fabrication of periodical Ag–Au compound nanostructure films with controllable Ag nanoparticle aggregate patterns: a study on surface‐enhanced Raman scattering

The Ag–Au compound nanostructure films with controllable patterns of Ag nanoparticle (NP) aggregates were fabricated. A strategy of two‐step synthesis was employed toward the target products. Firstly, the precursor Au NP (17 nm) films were synthesized as templates. Secondly, the Ag NPs (45 nm) were deposited on the precursor films. Three types of Ag NP aggregates were obtained including discrete Ag NPs (discrete type), necklace‐like Ag NP aggregates (necklace type), and huddle‐like Ag NP aggregates (huddle type). The surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) property was studied on these nanostructures by using the probing molecule of rhodamine 6G under the excitation laser of 514.5 nm. Interestingly, the different types of samples showed different enhancement abilities. A statistical method was employed to assess the enhancement. The relative enhancement factor for each Ag NP was estimated quantitatively under the ratio of 1 : 25 : 18 for the discrete‐type, necklace‐type, and huddle‐type samples at the given concentration of 10⁻⁸ mol/l. This research shows that the enhancement ability of each Ag NP is dependent on the aggregate morphology. Moreover, the different enhancement abilities displayed different limit detection concentrations up to 10⁻⁸, 10⁻¹¹, and 10⁻⁹ mol/l, separately. The understanding of the relationship between the defined nanostructures and the SERS enhancement is very meaningful for the design of new SERS substrates with better performance. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of silver nanoparticle‐based SERS spectroscopy for DNA analysis in radiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

This work aims to explore the application of silver nanoparticle‐based surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE2's DNA analysis after X‐ray radiation. The cells are separated into control group and radiated groups with different dose of 6, 10, 15 and 20 Gy. The results show that after radiation (6, 10, 15 and 20 Gy), the DNA of radiated CNE2 have changed after 72 h of cell incubation. Principal components analysis is employed for significant differences and the DNA extracted after 72 h of incubation show significant divisions from control group. Moreover, a classifier based on support vector machines shows high classification accuracy between DNA extracted after 72 h of incubation and control group. In conclusion, this study first reveals SERS characteristics of CNE2's DNA under different dose of X‐ray radiation, and the final results may do favor to make known the mechanism of X‐ray radiation interacting with tumor. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

KCl和HCl对结晶紫分子NIR-SERS作用机制的比较研究

本文研究了ＫＣｌ与ＨＣｌ对结晶紫分子近红外表面增强拉曼光谱（ＮＩＲ－ＳＥＲＳ）的影响。表明在以离子作为其ＳＥＲＳ信号的额外增强剂的过程中，更多地注意到对分子结构的选择性对于获得理想的ＳＥＲＳ结构非常必要。     

SERS detection of proteins on micropatterned protein‐mediated sandwich substrates

One of the greatest challenges in developing protein chips is the detection of trace amounts of proteins on their surfaces. Traditionally employed techniques, such as optical microscopy and fluorescence, are effective and widely used, but it is sometimes hard to obtain fingerprint signals of biomolecules. In this paper, we use surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy as a platform for protein detection. Micropatterned protein‐mediated Au/Ag sandwich structures were employed as the detecting objects. Two types of proteins, pure hemoprotein and immunocomplex, were used as the media. Au/Ag layers were used as the SERS substrates. The resulting spectra showed good sensitivity and resolution. It indicates that SERS is a powerful tool in protein detection and has great potential for application in protein chips. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ultrathin silver‐coated gold nanoparticles as suitable substrate for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is an extremely powerful tool for the analysis of the composition of bimetallic nanoparticle (BNP) surfaces because of the different adsorption schemes adopted by several molecules on different metals, such as Au and Ag. The preparation of BNPs normally implies a change in the plasmonic properties of the core metal. However, for technological applications it could be interesting to synthesize core–shell structures preserving these original plasmonic properties. In this work, we present a facile method for coating colloidal gold nanoparticles (NPs) in solution with a very thin shell of silver. The resulting bimetallic Au@Ag system maintains the optical properties of gold but shows the chemical surface affinity of silver. The effectiveness of the coating method, as well as the progressive silver enrichment of the outermost part of the Au NPs, has been monitored through the SERS spectra of several species (chloride, luteolin, thiophenol and lucigenin), which show different behaviors on gold and silver surfaces. A growth mechanism of the Ag shell is proposed on the basis of the spectroscopic and microscopic data consisting in the formation and deposit of Ag clusters on the Au NP surface. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rapid detection of a foreign protein in milk using IMS–SERS

A method for rapid detection of foreign protein contamination in complex food matrices is critically needed. Here we present a novel method that combines immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to detect ovalbumin (OVA), an egg white protein, added into whole milk. IMS was used to specifically capture the OVA out of the milk. Then SERS was applied to analyze the IMS eluate using silver dendrites as the substrate. Two SERS sample preparation methods, namely solution based and substrate based, were used to prepare the IMS eluate for SERS analysis. Results show both methods were able to detect 1 µg OVA in 1 ml milk (1 part per million). Based on the results of principal component analysis and partial least‐squares analysis, solution SERS was more capable of quantitative analysis, while substrate SERS was more sensitive for qualitative analysis. The total analytical time for IMS–SERS was less than 20 min, which satisfied the requirement of rapid detection in a milk processing facility. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhancements in intensity and thermal stability of Raman spectra based on roughened gold substrates modified by underpotential deposition of silver

In this study, electrochemically roughened gold is modified with underpotential deposition (UPD) silver to investigate the effects on enhancements in the intensity and the thermal stability of surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The SERS of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed on the UPD Ag‐modified Au substrate exhibits a higher intensity by six‐fold of magnitude, as compared with that of R6G adsorbedon the unmodified Au substrate. Moreover, the SERS enhancement capabilities of UPD Ag‐modified Au and unmodified Au substrates are seriously depressed at temperatures higher than 200 and 150 °C, respectively. It indicates that the modification of UPD Ag can significantly depress the thermal destruction of SERS‐active substrates. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.